estled away in a forest was a small, bumbling village. Life was doing its best to continue in the town, with worrying wives doing trade at the market while children played unchecked by fathers in the town square. Hasty defenses were built around the establishment; wooden walls were erected in an attempt to keep danger out, with two boys standing "guard" at the makeshift gate. They held their weapons with inexperience, their eyes rolling and bodies shuddering as they kept a nervous watch.

While it wasn't the perfect meetup spot, it was unassuming and within distance of Jingyi's current base. Hence why the redhead quietly entered the town's bar, her armor form hidden by a heavy brown cloak, a brown shawl wrapped around her head and shoulders. She didn't want to alarm any of the village people by her military appearance, but Jingyi simply couldn't feel safe without her gear. Anything could happen anywhere, after all.

Taking a seat at a table, the girl flagged down a waitress and got herself a drink. Leaning back in her seat, the warrior waited for the woman she had arranged a meeting with. A merchant with contracts to weapon supplies. If the word down the grapevine was to be believed, she could be trusted with deals. Her men were always in need of reliable equipment, and if the price was right, Jingyi wouldn't mind sacrificing some of her own funds from her pocket to keep them safe.

Two cups and a bottle were set in front of Jingyi, the waiter lingering until a couple of coins were dropped into his waiting palm. Turning her attention to the sake she had ordered for herself and her company, the redhead pulled out the cork and poured half a cup for herself. However, it would only sit in her grip, fingers drumming on the glass as she waited.

ISHY of THQ &ADOXOGRAPHY

Job Details:

Job Name: Greedy BanditsJob Rank: B-tierJob Location: Kou EmpireJob Rewards: 200 EXP & 15,000 HaungJob Overview:A group of rag-tag thieves known as The Vultures have been targeting small, unprotected villages within Kou during the civil war. Anyone who seems like easy pickings are liable to be attacked by their small group, anything of value stripped before they escape to the next town. They will either attack a harmless villager (who will repay you for saving her) or go after your own person (and upon their defeat, you're free to take their money for the trouble).

Enemy Name: Thieves x6Rank: B-tierNeeded damage to take down: B-tierDescription: Each thief is dressed in black rags and leather, with white bindings around their necks and a red mask of a vulture to protect their identities. They reek of booze, and each one carries a Dao sword or a pair of hook-swords. Their swords deal B-tier damage and they move at C-tier speeds.Abilities:Double the Trouble: A thief wielding hook swords rushes at their foe, swinging one sword and then another in an X-pattern. Each swipe is a C-tier attack for a combined total of B-tier damage.Dancing Bird: A thief with a Dao sword lunges forwards and thrusts his blade, stabbing a foe for C-tier damage before swinging the sword for an additional worth of C-tier damage. Together, the attacks deal B-tier damage.Coward's Dance: A thief holds his blade(s) in the air as he nimbly jumps out of the way an incoming B-tier attack. He's capable of avoiding multiple strikes that add up to B-tier damage.

Code:Job Name: Greedy BanditsJob Rank: B-tierJob Location: Kou EmpireJob Rewards: 200 EXP & 15,000 HaungJob Overview:A group of rag-tag thieves known as The Vultures have been targeting small, unprotected villages within Kou during the civil war. Anyone who seems like easy pickings are liable to be attacked by their small group, anything of value stripped before they escape to the next town. They will either attack a harmless villager (who will repay you for saving her) or go after your own person (and upon their defeat, you're free to take their money for the trouble).

Enemy Name: Thieves x6Rank: B-tierNeeded damage to take down: B-tierDescription: Each thief is dressed in black rags and leather, with white bindings around their necks and a red mask of a vulture to protect their identities. They reek of booze, and each one carries a Dao sword or a pair of hook-swords. Their swords deal B-tier damage and they move at C-tier speeds.Abilities:Double the Trouble: A thief wielding hook swords rushes at their foe, swinging one sword and then another in an X-pattern. Each swipe is a C-tier attack for a combined total of B-tier damage.Dancing Bird: A thief with a Dao sword lunges forwards and thrusts his blade, stabbing a foe for C-tier damage before swinging the sword for an additional worth of C-tier damage. Together, the attacks deal B-tier damage.Coward's Dance: A thief holds his blade(s) in the air as he nimbly jumps out of the way an incoming B-tier attack. He's capable of avoiding multiple strikes that add up to B-tier damage.

Equipment:

Name: Yu ChangTier: A-TierType: One-handed Tsurugi (sword)Material: Tempered steel (blade); iron (rings, butt cap, and tsuba); red cloth (ito binding on the handle); scarlet tassel; golden menuki (handle ornament).Appearance:The brother blade to Yu Chang, the two are light enough to allow its wielder to dual-wield them at once. Chun Yu looks considerably different compared to Yu Chang, with a blade that's 120cm long and a handle that's 10cm long. Chun Yu is a Tsurugi, making it a double-edged sword with indentions along one side of it. It too has a scarlet tassel attached to the butt cap, along with a golden menuki of the Hou Clan's emblem beneath the ito of the handle. Similarly to Yu Chang, it has a green guard that has been stylized to look like bamboo. Chun Yu's sheath appears bamboo like in appearance and covers everything but the handle of the weapon.

A lone cart drawn by an ornery-looking mule rolled to a halt as the singular driver stepped down from her seat. A vast canvass covered the contents of the cart as the elegant woman ran a delicate hand over the rump of the mule whispering soothing words to it. The beast wasn't the patient kind and knew from experience that anytime the cart stopped, it meant waiting. Still it huffed as the woman turned to enter the building guarded by two..children. Nerves and fidgeting were obvious as Fenhei passed them without a second glance.

~Children? Don't tell me I am to be outfitting children with my suppler's wares. I do have standards..~ Fenhei thought, slightly miffed at the idea. She may have sold weapons contracts that contributed to the deaths of countless lives, but at least she knew the majority of them weren't accidental. A War Merchant would be her proper title as the coin flowed where ever violence had broken out..although she was positive a few different titles had been spat in her direction. The establishment as plain as the village, with a few tables and chairs here and there. Not even a single carpet gave a speck of color to the location. Not that it could be helped nor was Fenhei one to judge on appearances.

Her own appearance was devoid of color as her silk dress's hem brushed against the wooden floor. The material was slit on the side until her knee as the upper portion clung to her figure. Strapless in style displaying generous amounts of cleavage through silk netting held up the garment with a choker of fabric around her throat. Long black hair was styled in a bun with hair sticks. She looked more out of place than anyone as it would be appropriate to be on the arm of some rich noble or an upper-class establishment of female company with a proper reputation.

Painted lips pursed as her gaze sought her apparent contact, could it be the conspicuously inconspicuously figure clad in brown? Even the most muscular human figure could not be that misshapen as Fenhei observed the slight differences in the cloak. If her guess was correct, armor was underneath the normal cloth. This was to be her contact. Steeling herself with a soft sigh as Fenhei sat opposite of the cloaked woman.

Inclining her head in a respectful manner as Fenhei said softly "My name is Fenhei, if I am correct you are the interested buyer. It is a pleasure to meet you.". A polite smile quirked on her lips, but did not reach her eyes. She did loathe this portion of her job, small-talk was dreadfully dull to her. At least this client had the manners and the apparent coin to purchase sake. The faint sweet-smelling liquor in her client's cup was a welcome one. Still her hands remained folded in her lap as it would be rude to presume that the free cup was hers to take. It was better to allow the client assume it was their meeting..instead of hers.

pon hearing her company, playful red eyes raised to meet dull gray ones. The beginnings of a pleasant smile tugged at her lips, her hands spreading on the table. Her shawl fell slightly, letting a lock of red hair slip free as the opening of the cloak shifted open. Lamplight glinted off the golden lion dog head of her belt buckle, but it quickly disappeared as Jingyi leaned forwards to grab the sake bottle.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Fenhei," she began as she tipped the bottle, allowing the pale drink to pour into the merchant's cup. "I'm Commander Hou, but feel free to call me Jingyi," the redhead continued, her gaze falling from the woman's face to glance at the bottle in her fingers.

"I hope you had a pleasant trip here," Jingyi said after clearing her throat, her smile widening as she set the bottle down and grabbed her own cup. "It's quite quiet around here, but it's a nice break to everything outside." Despite being a soldier of Gao's, Jingyi was a pleasant girl. She loved to talk. Small talk and chit-chat were something that she did often, even if in the past it tended to wear down any potential friends.

As the woman would talk with the merchant, outside the village, the two guards were knocked clean out. Their pockets were free of any belongings, stripped clean by the very same villains who had laid them onto the ground. From there, it was easy for the vultures to sneak into the poorly defended town. They slipped into the shadows of allies, eyes scanning the area for anything of value that they could steal. It wouldn't take them long for their attention to be caught by a mule and his cargo.

ingyi smiled pleasantly at the other woman, hiding behind the friendly expression as she watched her for her next action. Despite her well-mannered appearance, the red-haired soldier knew better than to trust that polite smile. So far in her career, Jingyi had learned about the type of people who existed in the world. Especially about those who lent themselves to Gao's cause and the men who supplied them with weapons. If truth be told, she knew that if it were not for her family supporting the fallen emperor that her blade would fight beneath Yoshirou's banner instead.

Alas, the situation was a cup of spilled milk. She no longer had the time nor desire to ponder over it further, and it was time for the rag to wipe it away from memory. Jingyi had already dug herself too deep into Gao's military to escape to the other side, anyway. So, instead, she simply leaned back in her seat, finger tapping quietly against the rim of her cup.

"So, Miss Fenhei, let's talk business. Word is that you supply quality weapons for cheap. I want to know the largest amount of equipment you can get, whether or not you can ship it south of Kanshou, and the price for it. And since I'm such a great customer, the deal you can cut me for the whole package~ Of course, I'm a reasonable person so I'll fast-forward your services to a couple of buddies of mine," Jingyi rambled, ending with a sharp-toothed smile. The smile was followed by the woman climbing to her feet, the chair she was previously sitting on scraping back with a sharp sound. "Of course, I say all of this under the assumption that I like the example of the cargo you brought today. I have my soldiers to think of, and I'd hate to give them rubbish swords that leads to their death. Oh, and it's annoying when we have to examples out of people who try scam Gao's army~" At the statement, the soldier patted her sword for good measure as an additional warning.

The sound of a baying mule could be heard from outside, followed by a piercing shout as civilians began to run amuck. Jingyi whipped around, peering out the window as she spotted several men clambering onto what was Fenhei's cargo. "Wait here, Miss Fenhei! I'll deal with those ruffians outside!" She shouted, ripping off the cloak she wore to move around easily. Throwing it onto the chair, Jingyi ran for the door and burst outside. Masked faces all moved to look at her and as a collective group, they drew their swords out along with Jingyi.

She lunged towards the mule, pulling herself up to the front seat. Before the man who was sitting among the cargo could jump at her, Jingyi leaped forwards herself. She swung out her leg with full force, kicking the thug in the chest and sending him flying out of the cart. Then, with her free hand, the soldier grabbed onto the side wall and pulled herself over. Landing in a crouch, Jingyi rolled beneath an incoming attack. Pushing her weight on the soles of her feet, the soldier tackled the next man who rushed at her.

Jingyi wrapped her arm around the man's neck, choking him as the four remaining members surrounded her. One thug broke line, light glinting off his mask as he lunged forwards towards her. Before his Dancing Bird attack could be completed, Jingyi threw the man in her arms forwards. There was a guttural cry as the thug she threw got a stab to his gut. He stumbled back, holding his stomach as his companion stood there in horror at what he did.

Jingyi tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword before lunging forwards. She punched the wounded man with just enough force to knock him out before attacking his partner with a thrust from Yu Chang. Another man came running at her, his swords preparing to unleash a Double the Trouble attack. Jingyi eyed his approach, the heels of her boots digging into the earth before the soldier moved forwards herself. With a scaled Power Step, she swiftly maneuvered herself around the edges of the other's swords. However, before the man could put enough distance between him and Jingyi, the woman swung out her blade, slicing him in the back.

Just two men remained now, and both eyed her with wary eyes. They held their swords aloft, the metal glinting in the sunlight. Jingyi raised her weapon likewise, paying no attention to the scarlet blood that dripped off the edge. Her gaze followed them as the pair prepared to attack her for the sake of their comrades. One dashed straight towards her, the other arching around to meet her at the side in a blitz attack.

Jingyi planted herself in her spot, Yu Chang's hilt now in both hands as she stood in the Mamushi Stance. Light flashed as she swung her sword, the metal slicing through the man's knee as Jingyi preformed Mamushi: Cutting Grass. She then stepped forwards, turning on her heel to dodge a sloppy downwards strike from the remaining foe. They danced around each other, with the man just barely avoiding the slashes her blade dealt out. However, it came to a sudden end when Jingyi jumped aside into the man, knocking him off balance. Before the thug could recover himself, Jingyi stabbed down her sword.

Red eyes quietly watched as his body spasmed from pain, fingers digging into the flesh around the gushing wound. His lips uttered meaningless noises, the whites of his eyes showing through the eyes of his mask. Jingyi stepped back from the mess, shouting for a nearby doctor to see that the thieves were taken to a hospital before they were locked up.

ISHY of THQ &ADOXOGRAPHY

Battle Log:

Jingyi dealt B-tier basic damage with her strength to one enemy

Jingyi dodged an ability by throwing a foe into the line of fire

Jingyi dealt C-tier basic damage with her strength to the thrown enemy afterward (C + C from the above move)

Tier:CB-tierType: SupplementaryRange: CloseRequirements/Drawbacks: Must take a moment to dig their heels into the ground before pushing themselves forwards.Scaling: HitsSustain: 0Cool Down: 2 postsCost: 20 StaminaDescription:

The user has to take a moment to dig their heels into the ground before launching themselves forwards. Power Step gives the user the ability to maneuver around an opponent or dodge a single C-tier B-tier attack.

Mamushi: Cutting Grass

Tier: CClass: WarriorType: Offensive/SupplementaryRange: Short 1m-3mRequirements/Drawbacks: The user must grip their sword outstretched with both hands and stand with their knees bent (Mamushi Stance). A sword must be equipped and she must have an unimpaired view of her enemy.Scaling: DurationSustain: 0Cooldown: 2 postCost: 20 StaminaDescription:

Jingyi shifts into the Mamushi Stance and plants her feet into the ground while raising her sword. She then swings it in a downward arc that targets her foe’s knee, dealing C-tier damage to it. For one post afterward, their knee impairs them from running, dodging, and any general use of their leg for one post.